Multifunction point of sale system

• US 10,185,945 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Horn, Erik, Kearney, Sean Philip, Giordano, Patrick Anthony, Good, Timothy, Dickinson, Chandler, Au, Ka Man, Wilz, Sr., David, Furlong, John A., Hejl, Benjamin, Walczyk, Joseph A., Coyle, Larry, Rosetti, James, Haggerty, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US15/612,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20170270504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A point of sale system capable of operating in an indicia-reading mode or a verification mode is disclosed. In the indicia-reading mode, the point of sale system configures its illumination, imaging, and processing to read indicia as part of a normal checkout process. If triggered by a user or by an event, the point of sale system may operate in a verification mode. In the verification mode, the point of sale system enables the necessary illumination, imaging, and processing to verify an item. This verification includes illuminating the item in a way that causes a noticeable response from a security mark (or marks) on the item. An image of the response may be captured and processed to authenticate/verify the item. The point of sale system may then respond to the verification and/or may store the image/results as a record of the verification.

Claims

1. A method of operating a point of sale system, the method comprising:

capturing, with an imaging subsystem, an image of an indicia in an indicia reading mode;

decoding, with an indicia-reading subsystem, the indicia in the captured image;

changing the indicia reading mode to a verification mode in response to the decoded indicia;

capturing, with the imaging subsystem, an image of an item to be verified in the verification mode, wherein the item to be verified includes a security mark that is invisible, and the image of the item to be verified is captured in a predetermined manner so that the security mark is visible in the captured image of the item to be verified;

verifying the item to be verified based on the presence or absence of the security mark in the captured image of the item to be verified;

restricting a checkout process in response to the verification.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising illuminating the item with radiation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the radiation comprises ultraviolet light, and/or infrared light.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising outputting an audible and/or visual alert in response to the verification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the item to be verified comprises currency.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the item to be verified comprises at least one of a credit card and a driver'"'"'s license.

7. A method of operating a point of sale system, the method comprising:

capturing, with an imaging subsystem, an image of an indicia in an indicia reading mode;

decoding, with an indicia-reading subsystem, the indicia in the captured image;

changing the indicia reading mode to a verification mode in response to the decoded indicia;

in the verification mode;

illuminating an item with radiation;

capturing, with the imaging subsystem, an image of an item, comprising sensing radiation reflected from the item, wherein the item includes a security mark that is invisible, and the illuminating and the capturing of the image of the item are carried out so that the security mark is visible in the captured image of the item; and

verifying the item based on the presence or absence of the security mark in the captured image of the item;

restricting a checkout process in response to the verification.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the radiation comprises ultraviolet light, and/or infrared light.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising outputting an audible and/or visual alert in response to the verification.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising illuminating the item with visible light while in indicia reading mode.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising generating a signal for changing the indicia reading mode to the verification mode in response to information in the decoded indicia.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising generating the signal for changing the indicia reading mode to the verification mode in response to information in the decoded indicia corresponding to a verification requirement.

13. A system operable in an indicia reading mode and a verification mode, the system comprising:

an imaging subsystem configured to

acquire an image of an indicia in the indicia reading mode, and

acquire an image of an item to be verified in the verification mode, wherein the item to be verified includes a security mark that is invisible, and the image of the item to be verified is captured in a predetermined manner so that the security mark is visible in the captured image of the item to be verified;

an indicia-reading subsystem configured to decode the indicia in the image of the indicia acquired by the imaging subsystem;

the system being configured to change from the indicia reading mode to the verification mode in response to the decoded indicia;

a verification subsystem configured to;

verify the item to be verified based upon the presence or absence of the securing mark being visible in the captured image of the item to be verified, and

produce an output corresponding to the verification, so that the output is configured to restrict the checkout process in case of failed verification.

14. The system of claim 13, comprising a memory for storing a library of verification settings.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is configured to switch from indicia reading mode to verification mode based on verification settings or an authentication criterion being met.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the authentication criterion comprises a transaction requiring a customer'"'"'s credentials, a transaction using a currency above a certain denomination, a transaction using a credit card or debit card, and/or a transaction using near field communication or a smartphone payment service.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is configured to switch from indicia reading mode to verification mode based on an authentication criterion being met.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the authentication criterion comprises a transaction requiring a customer'"'"'s credentials, a transaction using a currency above a certain denomination, a transaction using a credit card or debit card, and/or a transaction using near field communication or a smartphone payment service.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the system illuminates items with radiation in the verification mode.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the radiation comprises ultraviolet light, and/or infrared light.